The 1908 West Virginia gubernatorial election took place on November 3, concurrently with the presidential election. Republican nominee

William E. Glasscock William Ellsworth Glasscock (December 13, 1862 – April 12, 1925) was an American politician who served as the 13th Governor of West Virginia as a Republican from 1909 to 1913. Glasscock worked for several years as a teacher, becoming the supe ...

was elected Governor of West Virginia, defeating Democratic nominee Louis Bennett Sr.

Democratic nomination

Candidates

* Louis Bennett Sr. of Lewis County, former Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates. *

Adam Brown Littlepage Adam Brown Littlepage (April 14, 1859 – June 29, 1921) was a lawyer and Democratic politician from West Virginia who served as a United States Representative. Congressman Littlepage was born near Charleston, West Virginia, in Kanawha Coun ...

Kanawha County Kanawha County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 180,745, making it West Virginia's most populous county. The county seat is Charlest ...

state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

and counsel for the

United Mine Workers The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unit ...

Convention

Louis Bennett Sr. was nominated on the first ballot on July 30. His competitor, Adam B. Littlepage, was nominated for the position of Secretary of State. By a wide margin, the convention adopted two planks calling for the continuation of disenfranchisement of black voters and segregation of train cars. The adoption of the planks was opposed by former Governor

William A. MacCorkle William Alexander MacCorkle (May 7, 1857September 24, 1930), was a United States teacher, lawyer, prosecutor, the ninth Governor of West Virginia and state legislator of West Virginia, and financier. Biography He was born near Lexington, Virgi ...

, who warned that they would cause the party's defeat in the general election.

Republican nomination

Candidates

* William Hearne of Ohio County, attorney * Arnold C. Scherr of Grant County, State Auditor * Charles W. Swisher of Marion County, Secretary of State

Campaign and conventions

The Republican Party of West Virginia's nomination process in this period was a patchwork of indirect primaries and conventions, all taking place over several months. Early in the race, Hearne touted that he would go to the convention with the full support of the

Northern Panhandle The Northern Panhandle is the northern of the two panhandles in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is a culturally and geographically distinct region of the state. It is the state's northernmost extension, bounded by Ohio and the Ohio River ...

. He was awarded the full slate of delegates from his home state of Ohio County, owing to no other candidates contesting the race. However, after losing the Marshall County primary to Scherr, Hearne dropped out. After the Ohio County Republican Party's executive committee selected a slate of delegates supportive of Scherr, Hearne re-entered the race, demanding to select his own delegates. On July 7, the state party's executive committee ruled in favor of Hearne, leading Scherr's supporters to bolt the convention. Scherr's supporters, going by the title "Lincoln Republicans", adopted a platform demanding primary elections and nominated a separate set of candidates for statewide office. Within a week, four of the statewide nominees had left the Lincoln Republican ticket - Thomas C. Miller and John T. Harris repudiating the convention that they had attended, James K. Hall and John T. Harris having been nominated by friends without their knowledge.

Compromise

Scherr, Swisher, and presidential nominee

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

, among other party leaders, held a conference in Hot Springs, Virginia for several days in August. Taft refused to side with either faction. On September 23, the regular Republicans and Lincoln Republicans agreed to both support

, as a compromise. Additionally, changes to the nomination process was made, with delegates apportioned based on the county rather than the district, and requiring either a primary or a district convention to be held.

General election

Results

Notes

References

* * {{1908 United States elections

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

gubernatorial A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

November 1908 events in the United States